A for Apple: Lowercase Letter a Recognition Activities

What you need:

A for Apple Letter Recognition printables
Red pom-poms or red playdough
Red crayon or pencil
Small container or basket

What you do:

The goal of teaching letter identification is to ensure that children are able to recognize and name letter shapes, as well as discriminate between them before they are faced with the task of learning the letters' sounds. (Adams, 1990) Prerequisite skills for letter identification include visual discrimination of shapes, attention to details, and differentiating between straight and curved lines. 

Letter Formation and Letter Printing for Preschool and Kindergarten
Letter formation and printing the letter will reinforce letter identification. Think aloud and come up with a story about the letter as children trace the letter shape (Example: The letter a looks like a ball leaning on a short wall.) Make sure you point out that the "ball" comes first and then the "wall." 

Lowercase Letter a Tracing and Writing.
Let children trace the letter a with different colors. Then have them write the letter a inside each apple.

Visual Discrimination Skill 

Visual discrimination is the ability to identify differences in visual images. Children must be able to successfully distinguish between different letters in order to read and write words. 

On the Apple Tree Lowercase Letter a Recognition Game

Print On the Apple Tree printable. Place red pom-pom apples inside a small container or basket. Review the shape of the lowercase letter a with children. Explain to children that not all blossoms on an apple tree grow in to an apple. Instruct children to find the blossoms with the letter a and place an apple (red pom-pom) on it. Encourage children to look carefully at each letter on the blossoms.

On the Apple Tree Lowercase letter a Worksheet

Find and color the apple with the lowercase letter a.